An Innocent Mirage
by Payne N. Uranus
Summary: AU. Yusuke Urameshi, new detective for the Tokyo law enforcement, and his partner, Kazuma Kuwabara, have caught every criminal mastermind downtown...except one. With the aid of Hiei Jaganshi, will they capture the best of them all...Yoko Kurama?
1. Chapter 1: Recruitment

**An Innocent Mirage**

_By Payne N. Uranus_

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**.:AN:. **Yes, yes, I know, another story from me...I just can't contain them all! Anyway, hadn't seen a story like this one out there, so I thought I'd contribute to the "original" storyline collection (even though it probably isn't all that original, but whatever). Enjoy!

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**Chapter One: Recruitment**

Hurried footsteps sounded off of the wet pavement, slapping loudly as the dark-clothed figure sped away from the two pursuers. Sharp echoes of voices followed after its form, with one distinctive command.

"Stop! Thief!"

The ignorant form of the runner didn't slow its pace, instead taking turns left and right, weaving through the dark city of downtown Tokyo. A clothed bag clutched tightly in its hands jangled, indicating there were objects of great value carried inside.

"Dammit, I said stop, you bastard!" one of the frustrated bodies chasing the holder of the bag yelled in irritation.

"C'mon, he's taking the back route," his companion huffed from his right.

"Alright, fine," the first spat, his breath coming out heavier due more to anger than actual exhaustion. "You keep after him, I'll wrap around and we'll corner him."

The other gave the thumb's up. "Got it."

They split up, the first man quickening his pace to catch up on the distance he had lost. His breath was heavy, and the weight of his Tokyo P.D. uniform made it even more difficult to maneuver.

_I should have never listened to that brat,_ he cursed with fury. _I was perfectly fine with the way that I worked without the help of all this gear…_

He had finally caught up to the man, only to find that he had jumped over the chained fence that separated the musky building from its surrounding area.

…_And here he is, getting away!_

With a loud, furious cry, the man launched himself over the fence, his back just barely nicking the barbed tips while falling onto the other side. He landed in a crouch with cat-like grace, springing to his feet not a second later. The runner was slowing, tiring, he could see it clearly…

"Freeze!" he yelled once more. "Stop, in the name of the law!"

_That is SUCH a stupid command…_

The figure turned its head slightly to him, showing that it had heard, but continued to run. Once more, the culprit sprinted away, proving that it still had plenty of energy to spare. The man in pursuit sighed with exasperation, unsure whether or not he would be able to catch up.

Suddenly he heard quite a lot of yelling and cursing. The figure had long since disappeared from his sight, but from what he could hear, his target had encountered someone it didn't intend to.

Rounding the corner he last saw his prey disappear around, he came face-to-face with the short, black figure. His palms were pressed against the back of his head with an exasperated look adorning his face. The brown, weighted bag swung lazily from his hands. The man's taller companion stood behind him, wearing a smug grin as he pointed the gun to the thief's back.

"I caught him, Urameshi!" the second man said with a husky, raspy voice. "You owe me some big bucks, man!"

"Yeah, yeah," the previous detective, Urameshi, grumbled. "But I led him to you, so you only get half of the cash."

"That's cheap, Urameshi, you wouldn't have nabbed this guy if it weren't for me!"

"Yeah, and WE wouldn't have even been on this case if YOU hadn't fucked up!"

"Not cool, man! It was that newbie's fault, he shouldn't have turned his back!"

"You were his leading officer! Fine example you were!"

"Better than you!"

"Fucking prove it, you bastard!"

"You are both idiots. I can't believe I was caught by you two," the thief cut in sharply, tone laced with self-hatred.

That got silence from the two officers…

~`*`~

"…And that's how we caught Hiei," Urameshi sighed as he leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head and lazily bringing his feet up to rest them on the desk in front of him.

"And I had to pay him twenty bucks for it, too," Urameshi's partner sulked.

"Aw, shut the hell up with the whining, Kuwabara," Urameshi complained. "You owed me the money, anyways…"

"I didn't owe you forty dollars, you punk!"

"No, you're right, you didn't—you owed me fifty, but I decided I was going to be nice. I think I'm going to change my mind, you bastard." Urameshi stood up and cracked his knuckles threateningly.

"Guys!" a loud, shrill, and seemingly male voice yelled. "I just wanted a mission review, okay, I didn't ask for a fight in my office!"

"Sorry," Urameshi said with a shrug.

"Don't say it unless you mean it, Detective."

"Suit yourself, Boss. I'm going to go get some croissants before all of those fat, moronic seniors get all the good ones…"

"Just a moment, Yusuke," the voice said sternly.

Slumping his shoulders, Yusuke sighed and let go of the knob he had been turning. He walked back over to the mahogany desk, littered with stack after stack of paperwork, and collapsed back into his seat.

"Alrighty, Koenma, what is it that you want?" he grumped, already tired of the stuffy room.

Koenma stared at him silently through his curtain of dark bangs before pushing the intercom button that was also situated on his desk.

"Botan, please send him in."

No reply was needed as the door opened, revealing a beautiful woman with cerulean-shaded locks, and candy colored eyes. She stood behind the dark figure Yusuke and Kuwabara had brought in not too long ago.

He was dressed in all black, with a black tank top and pants, his midnight cloak draped over his shoulder. Four silver belts wrapped around his narrow waist, and the deadly look in his ruby eyes was filled with raging fury and resentment. His hair was black, short and spiky (just like the rest of him… ahem…) with a white starburst in the center of it all. He stood defiantly, despite the fact that his hands were cuffed in front of him, and his feet that were adorning his once more black boots were tapping with impatience.

"Hey! That's the guy that we just finished telling you about!" Kuwabara exclaimed, obviously slow.

"No shit, dumbass!" Yusuke said loudly in return, giving him a quick cuff at the back of his head.

"Ow! Urameshi! You'll pay for that one, you punk!"

"Will you _both_ stop acting like juvenile adolescences and _act your age?"_

"Hey, I resent that, Mr. High-and-Mighty! I used to be a juvenile adolescent, for your information!"

"That's not something to be bragging about, Detective," Hiei stated casually, glaring reproachfully at Yusuke, who had paused mid-yell at the interruption.

"Watch it, pal…" the slick-haired detective warned, closing his mouth and lowering his raised finger, suddenly dark eyes showing it wasn't a joke this time.

Hiei just rolled his own eyes in exasperation, then turned to Botan. "You're the only sane person in this room as far as I can tell. Please tell me that these aren't the idiots I am to be assisting…"

Caught off-guard by being directly addressed by the criminal, the blue-haired woman stammered, "Uh-a-as f-far as I know, Hiei, you are to be working with these idiots—I mean, these guys. I—I'm sorry…" Her eyes had darted to Koenma and back to Hiei rapidly during her answer, her eyes closing as she smiled nervously, and tried to look positive.

"Damn," Hiei muttered, his eyes going back to the two dimwits that were seething in apparent anger.

"Don't worry, Shorty, we'll make sure that you don't work with us," Kuwabara said in his gravelly voice. Turning to the silent Koenma, he slammed his large fist onto his tidy and artistic desk, causing papers that were stacked neatly into separate piles to fall onto the floor. "He's not really working with us is he, Koenma?"

His question went unanswered as the mute Koenma stared at the once-orderly pile of paper that now littered the ground. Kuwabara also looked down on the ground and suddenly his angered face turned into one of fear and panic. Slowly, Koenma's body tensed up, as if trying to control his rage. His head raised from its position inch by inch, every movement making Kuwabara regret loosing his temper and taking it out on his boss's desk. Heated eyes bored holes into his own, and Kuwabara instinctively took a few steps back, dread written clearly all over his face.

"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO ORGANIZE ALL OF THAT! NOW I'LL HAVE TO START ALL OVER! THE COMMISSIONER NEEDS THESE IN TWO DAYS! DO YOU KNOW HOW RELENTLESSLY I'LL HAVE TO WORK IN THAT TIME TO MAKE UP WHAT TOOK WEEKS TO FINISH?"

Kuwabara blabbered out his apology while Hiei and Yusuke were laughing their heads off at the man's predicament.

"FOR THIS, YOU CAN HELP ME ORGANIZE THIS ALL OVER AGAIN, IS THAT CLEAR? YOU WON'T STOP TO EAT, SLEEP, DRINK, OR GO TO THE BATHROOM UNTIL I SAY SO! YOU WILL WORK PERSISTANLY AND DILIGENTLY UNTIL EVERY PIECE OF PAPER IS AS IT WAS! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"P—p—painst—stakingly c—clear, S—sir," Kuwabara blubbered out.

"Good," came the calm reply. Hiei sweat dropped. Certainly this room was full of crazy people, how was he to survive?

"Oh, boy," Yusuke commented evenly, laying a comforting hand on his partner's trembling shoulder.

"Now, sit down, all of you," Koenma commanded, motioning to the chairs the Detectives had been sitting in moments before. Yusuke and Kuwabara complied, but Hiei simply resorted to leaning against the wall nearest to the door, yet still facing Koenma's desk.

"Hiei, sit down," Koenma told him, his eyebrow twitching.

"I don't think so," came the cool reply. "I'd like to distance myself from you moronic fools. You never know, the cause of all this stupidity could be an airborne contagion."

Growling, Koenma tried to control himself and succeeded this time… "Right. Well, back to what I was going to say beforehand, I had you capture Hiei for a reason, and not just because he was trying to steal expensive items."

"Then why?" Yusuke questioned.

"He'll answer that, half-wit, just wait," the said criminal snapped.

Yusuke's eyes twitched as well, and said, "Y'know, you're good at getting people pissed at you…"

"I've had a lot of practice, but I must say that it's not nearly difficult enough with you three."

"And there you go again."

"Shut up, Detective, and let your young leader finish what he's trying to say or he'll throw a temper tantrum."

And indeed Koenma was turning red out of anger for being ignored and cut-off, not to mention being insulted multiple times by the small yet dangerous criminal.

"Watch what you say, Hiei. I can send you to jail for a couple of years if you want."

"You know I'd love to, but at the moment, the jail cells are full, as you so graciously explained to me. It seems that these shit heads' appearances deceive them. Ever since they've come to work for you, many of the top thieves and masterminds have been taken down. Pity there isn't enough room for little ol' me, or else I wouldn't have to be doing this instead."

"Congratulations, Hiei, I think you succeeded in insulting everyone in this room at least twice in the last… five minutes," Botan told him, looking at her watch to confirm her estimated time.

"Damn, I thought I'd be able to do it in three," Hiei commented innocently with a slight tisk of disappointment. "After all, these are the easiest victims I've had for quite a while. I should've been able to beat my record."

"Well, I was rounding up..."

"AS I WAS SAYING!" an enraged Koenma cut in angrily. "The REASON why I had you capture Hiei was to help with the capture of a top, the best of the best, thief in all of Tokyo. Goes by the name of Yoko Kurama, but that's all we can find out about him. He leaves no trace from each of his raids, and we manage to find out about them at least a couple hours after he successfully completed them. His robberies are unpredictable, and no security system can stop him. A full-out protection structure would be left unactivated if he were to ever encounter one. He's definitely one of the toughest criminals you'll have to capture. For that, we need the assistance of another criminal, one that not only can get us the dirty stories off the streets, but also possesses great speed and cunning. That would be you, Hiei," he explained grudgingly.

"Your words flatter me. I'm honored, truly I am," Hiei replied sarcastically. "But the matter still remains—what does this have to do with me?"

"He just told you that, dumbass!" Yusuke griped with exasperation.

"What I mean, Detective—if I could still even refer to you as such—what's in this for me? What if I declined your offer?"

"Keep in mind, Hiei," Koenma replied. "This is no offer. This is a demand. And I have my ways of keeping you in line, as you are welcome to test."

Hiei stared at him, and suddenly his face grew deathly pale. "You have nothing on me," he muttered in a strained voice.

Koenma held is gaze coolly, cocking his head slightly to the side, and murmured back, "Are you certain of that?"

A beat of silence allowed the air to thicken with the tension. Pure, cold fury burned in the criminal's eyes, and his fists were clenched in front of him, so strong that it turned his hard knuckles white. His whole body was shaking with his rage, and his teeth were set in a firm scowl, grinding together heatedly. "You wouldn't," he growled out forcefully.

"I would," Koenma replied, folding his hands neatly on his desk, still staring the enraged criminal straight in the eye, no hint of flinching appearing on his young features.

Yusuke and Kuwabara's eyes darted back and forth inbetween the two of them, confusion clearly written on their faces.

"What's going on?" Kuwabara asked his companion quietly.

Yusuke merely shrugged.

"Fine," Hiei spat out with pure vehemence. "I will help you capture this 'Yoko Kurama'. But, bear in mind, I hold no loyalty to these scum you have for detectives. I will not risk my life for their safety, as I pray they won't for mine. We work together for this single purpose, nothing more. I will NOT be forced to be in their prescence unless it is related to this case. Is that understood by you all?"

"That is so, Hiei," Koenma told him evenly. "That is so."

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**.:AN:.** End of chapter 1! Even though it's more like a prologue...oh well, technicalities. Hope you liked, please leave a review and tell me what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2: For Starters

**An Innocent Mirage**

_By Payne N. Uranus_

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**.:AN:.** So, I decided to continue my detective story BEFORE "A Month" is done...I don't know whether to applaud my efforts, or to smack my hands, haha! But this chapter's been sitting around for a while now, so I figured I'd throw the fans of this story a bone... Enjoy chapter two! ALSO, I do not own the Toyko National Museum, for it is a real place, and I do not own The "Seated Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendant" statue, for it is also real... In fact, I know nothing about art or...anything in this story really, so just accept the fact that my wild imagination is filling in the gaps of my knowledge, and some things may just be plain wrong factually. I'll probably end up making up various pieces of art... So yeah, enjoy!

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**Chapter Two: For Starters**

The metropolis shopping centers were swamped with civilians of all paces and excitement. City streets flooded with glistening wet cars, the sky's tears showered them all with perspiration. Umbrellas sprouted along the sidewalks, like multi-themed mushrooms reaching for the crying heavens above. Citizens scurrying like drowned rats dragged themselves to the nearest roof of dry shelter, dancing on their toes as they shook their limbs free of the water weighing down their clothes. Vehicles sped through carelessly plotted puddles, splashing all those nearby.

Raindrops tapped out a pleasant rhythmic pattern on the large, open windows of the coffee shop, splashing against the clear surface like little droplets of colorless paint. If one peered close enough, one would notice how the dim lights from the ceiling shone down just enough for the streams of light to refract in the speckles of water, causing small rainbows to sparkle shyly on the pane of glass.

One customer in particular, with long crimson hair and jade-green eyes, observed the graying skies through the misty window with his thoughtful gaze. The two-person table he sat at was rather small and round, his body hunched and nearly topping its surface. Twirling the dregs in his cup with his right index and thumb, he sighed against the fist that his chin rested upon, wondering whether he had waited long enough. Afternoon showers were common occurrences during the spring, often brewing at noon and dribbling out by early evening. The young man eyed his watch -- it was nearly four. The rain had only begun to pepper the cement of the Tokyo shopping district around one. Perhaps he had waited long enough.

The redheaded patron calmly collected his things from the table, stuffing his coffee cup into the small pastry bag his banana muffin had been delivered in, before dropping his keys and wallet into the overly large pockets of his wool-grey overcoat. Buttoning the coat up to his chin, and fixing the dark green knitted cap on his head, he then dropped his trash into the bin beside the door and stepped out into the drizzling mist.

Breathing in the cool, crisp, clean air, his emerald eyes took the opportunity to scout out the area, hoping to find a respectable target for his less-than-respectable hobby. It took more than a few moments, and the youthful man started to fee a bit frustrated and worried that he'd look suspicious when he laid eyes on her.

One woman in particular was having a rather difficult time fighting the current of bodies, being shouldered by frames ranging from wide and bulky to lean and bony. Her pudgy arms were full of sopping cardboard bags stuffed with groceries slowly losing stability, unable to stay upright as they had been at first. No room was left for a colorful umbrella, so her clothes clung to her shivering form like an icy, filmy covering, hanging a little around her forearms and feet as nothing more than sagging rags of cloth. The woman was probably middle-aged, in her early fourties, perhaps. Her purse was falling off her shoulder, and her hands were struggling to stuff loose bills into her jacket pocket. The fox-haired man's hawk-like eyes caught sight of a twenty. He smirked. A minor job, but it was money.

Shoppers that had obviously just got done shopping were one of the surest targets a thief could ask for. Normally, if they used cash for their purchases, they wouldn't take the time to place it in their wallets. At least, not someone who didn't carry a purse. They would simply stick it in the easiest pocket they could reach before grabbing their bags and leaving the store immediately, especially in such weather like rain and snow. Their want to get home as soon as possible make them the easiest prey to people like the red-haired male.

Of course, the only problem about people like this is that you can never be sure whether or not they carry a credit card somewhere in their clothed depths. Normally women didn't have wallets in their jean backsides, but one could never be sure. One could mistake the bulge in the back as a bind of leather instead of a wad of greenery. Credit cards were good for some things, but worse for others. They made it easier for P.D.'s to trace if the wrong person's plastic was stolen, meaning the easier the culprits were caught. Some times, one never knew if they'd get a hit or not.

He knew.

He had been at this game for a while now. One could actually think he was a master at the artistic practices of larceny with the way he manipulated people's thoughts and reactions, the way he planned and hypothesized the outcome of different scenarios and situations—the way he did everything necessary to receive the resulting prize…

…Money.

The sly stranger did have a thing for the green pieces of paper.

Which is why he had watched the weather channel that morning, why he chose his perch as he awaited the arrival of his new quarry, why he had observed each and every civilian that passed by his window; he needed some of the valuable currency, and now he would get some. The rain would provide him some cover, a distraction, an excuse. The victim would supply the rest.

He started heading in her direction, his feet slapping the shallow puddles of water that had collected on the cement. Judging from how the woman's eyes darted back and forth, his own emerald gaze was able to deduce the location of her vehicle parked along the street curb. It set the window of opportunity: Reach her before she reaches the car.

His hands were stuffed firmly in his deep pockets, protecting them from the cold, and hiding the excited twitch of his fingers. He'd always been good at controlling his ticks, but sometimes the tall male's playful side came out and the urge was too strong to resist.

Closer now.

The young redheaded man started measuring his pace. It had to be natural, all lifts were natural, smooth. His steps had to be smooth. He had to be smooth. His fingers flexed again. Smooth.

He caught her. Just when they were about to bump shoulders, the fox-like man faked a slip on a conveniently located patch of wet ground. His hand instinctively shot out, grabbing the woman in a show of maintaining his balance, but he was completely in control. The woman, predictably, was caught-off guard.

"Oh dear!" she cried out, arms flying up as her groceries were launched into the air. Swiftly regaining his feet, the conniving thief caught the bags before they could spill across the street -- it was no use robbing the woman if he had to pay for bruised and broken food in order to keep a clean getaway. Before his prey could recover from the shock of what had occurred, he shoved his hand once more deep into his pocket.

In his fist were the loose bills belonging to the woman.

"I'm terribly sorry!" He exclaimed in a suprised tone, shifting the bags in his arms in order to grasp the woman's shoulder in concern. "I guess I wasn't looking where I was going! Are you hurt in any way?"

The lady shook her head, more out of disbelief than in answer. "Excuse me?" She asked, looking very out of it. The red-haired man had to fight to hide the satisfied smirk from curling on his lips. The more disoriented the women was, the less likely she would be able to remember his face, which clenched his success. "Oh, I'm fine, dear, I'm fine. That was quite some trip though, I'm glad you didn't fall!"

"Yes, well," he responded, playing the role of a perfectly sheepish college boy, "I was just lucky, I suppose. Lucky you were there to help me, that is. Here, let me return your bags to you."

She gratefully removed them from the supposed scholar's arms, patting the back of his hand in the process. He couldn't help but tense, though immediately forced himself to relax. "Thank you, young man. God bless you."

"God bless you, ma'am," he returned politely, before strutting on along, an air of complete contentment and innocence trailing behind him. However, the thief was anything but content. Waiting with baited breath, the redheaded man counted the seconds between the car door opening and the engine starting. He couldn't be sure that the woman wouldn't check her pockets before driving off, which meant there was still a chance that this could get blown. While that didn't mean that she'd automatically suspect him, it didn't take a genius to know that hanging around after successfully robbing a woman was not the smartest idea.

_'One...two...three...'_ If it got passed ten seconds, it was time to make a run for it. Alleyways were one option, but underground subways were a much better choice. Alleyways often lead to dead ends, and once a thief were caught in one, it was hard to play innocent. Subways, on the other hand, provided plenty of crowd cover, and if one made it through to doors of a car before they closed, it was home free.

_'Four...Five...Six...'_

The crimson-haired delinquent was starting to get a bit nervous. Though it didn't show, his pace slightly quickened, bending his body so that he didn't run into the shoulders of passing citizens and lose his stride. The rain seemed to come down even harder, and the umbrellas that were suddenly becoming more prominent made him breathe a little easier -- more cover -- but it didn't calm him completely.

And then the car started.

Shifting his gaze to his peripherals, the youthful deceiver glanced quickly into a passing store window. The reflection showed the woman's car slowly pulling out of its parallel parking, and rolling down the street in the opposite direction. There was no hint that she'd turn around, or that she was hesitant to leave.

_'Success,'_ he thought with an easy smile. Just in case, though, he noted the make of the car and the license plate. If she turned around and came back soon, if at all, then he'd at least have a head's up.

_'Time to meet Kuronue.'_

As he continued his way to the subway -- just a safety precaution -- he passed by an electronics store with the typical TV set up displaying the news channel. On the various screens glowing in the gray streets was footage of the local museum in the background. The reporter stood off to the side, his voice carrying due to the stereo sound systems.

"Tokyo Police state that there was been a robbery in the Tokyo National Museum sometime last night around one in the morning. The art piece that was stolen is known as "Seated Bosatsu", or Seated Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendant. The date of its making, indicated by two Chinese characters, was either 606 or 666 in the Asuka period, 7th century. It stands at approximately 38.8 cm. Reports are that the advanced security alarms had not been triggered during the break in. In fact, it seems none of the cameras placed strategically throughout the building caught any signs of the thieves involved, including the one placed directly in front of the Seated Bosatsu. Officials say that there was a brief power outage that occurred around the same time as the robbery, which would explain how the criminals were able to slip in and out undetected. How this was possible, however, is still unknown. Investigation is still underway, but as for further details, we remain in the dark until new information can be released."

~`*`~

"So," Yusuke started, snapping his gum loudly with his obnoxious chewing, "what do we know about this Yoko Kurama bastard?"

The troublesome trio had relocated to the young detective's cubicle when Koenma kicked them all out because of an "important phone call" coming in. The detective himself was perched on a corner of his desk, with one leg propped up on the armrest of the chair his partner was occupying. Hiei slouched himself in a similar chair next to them, though it was obvious he was putting as much distance as he could between himself and the crazy crime-fighters.

"Do you have to partake in that noisy habit while we're talking?" the jewel thief asked instead with plenty of distaste.

Yusuke stopped popping bubbles in his gum, but leered agitatedly at the question. "It helps me think," he responded slowly with purpose, accentuating the statement with another loud snap from the gum.

Huffing, Hiei folded his arms even tighter across his chest, and mumbled, "You look like a retarded cow chewing cud."

This made the Urameshi detective slow with his gum-smacking. He sent an unsure glance at Kuwabara, who merely shrugged and gave a reluctant half-smile, an action that Yusuke read as, '_Well...he is right about that'_. Looking a bit embarrassed, not to mention still wrestling with his pride, the slick-haired man subtly spat out his piece of gum into the trashcan. Then, as if to pretend that nothing had happened, he reminded roughly, "If we could get back on topic... I _said_ what do we know about Yoko Kurama?"

"Is there any sort of talk on the street that might be of some help?" Kuwabara suggested, mostly directing his idea to Hiei.

Hiei snorted with contempt. "For most underground thieves, Yoko Kurama is the criminal equivalent of the Boogie Man. His skills are unquestionably legendary, as top as the top goes. But as far as the streets are concerned? _He doesn't exist_. If he does, anyone that came into contact with him died before they could spread the word. The man's untraceable."

"Do we have a list of the all stolen goods he's supposedly nabbed over the course of his emergence?" Yusuke moved on abruptly, talking through a mouthful of leftover croissant that he was now hungrily ripping into.

Kuwabara leaned forward to snatch the case file off his partner's desk. Flipping it open and leafing through the various papers, he nodded. "Yup, it's right here..." The carrot-top whistled lowly. "That's a long list, Urameshi. Not all of them seem to be high case jobs, either. There are accounts of drug store robberies, shop-lifting at mini marts, stolen purses, credit card lifts --"

"How can a guy have proof that a high-class thief stole his credit cards? And purses?" Yusuke cut in with a sense of wonder.

"Ignore those," Hiei ordered shortly. He rose from his seat and said with a off-hand tone, "The stories of Yoko Kurama say he only goes after the big treasures: Ancient artifacts, museum-worthy objects of old... anything difficult to get ahold of and has thousand-year-old superstitions around them."

Yusuke snatched the papers from Kuwabara's hands, and quickly scanned the list.

"Oi," he said through another bite of bread, "there was a recent break in at the Tokyo Nat --"

"National Museum," Koenma finished, taking long, rushed strides out of his office towards the small group. Looking at each of their faces in turn, he announched in his best commanding voice, "There was a robbery there last night. Chief's putting us on the case. Grab your gear, let's go."

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**.:AN:.** Chapter done! From what's already been planned, chapter three's gonna be fun to write... Then again, I can't say for sure when that'll be. I gaurentee that every story I post will be completed at some time or another, so this will not be the last of "An Innocent Mirage"! Now, onto addressing the reviewers...

Mikutalla - I actually haven't really considered age yet...Kurama is definitely college age, so I'd say mid-twenties. Same with Yusuke and Kuwabara. As for Hiei, he'll probably be a bit younger, maybe early twenties, because I kind of want to go for that punkish-stubborn-youth thing for him, you know? Anyway, this story is definitely gonna continue on! Please stay tuned!

tobe - You know someone named Payne? Sweet! Maybe we could get together and have a "Payne" Day, and watch that Payne movie, and read Thomas Payne pamphlets...Or not... Haha, anyway, I have returned, and I am writing. I'm sorry to have left you guys hanging for as long as I did... Thank you for the support!

And thanks to Beruska, Meri Kaisla, KiyoshiXI, pnaygurl767, ShadeSpirit, Nyte Kit, 50 cent, and KyoHana for the love! Please leave a review on your way out!


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